Development of ABO4-type photoanodes for photoelectrochemical water splitting

Abstract

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting with zero carbon emissions is a promising technology to solve the global issues of energy shortage and environmental pollution. However, the current development of PEC systems is facing a bottleneck of low solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency (<10%), which cannot meet the demand of large-scale H₂ production. The development of low-cost, highly active, and stable photoanode materials is crucial for high STH efficiency of PEC water splitting. The recent development of BiVO₄ as photoanode materials for PEC water splitting has been a great success, and ABO₄-type ternary metal oxides with a similar structure to BiVO₄ have high development potential as efficient photoanodes for high-performance PEC water splitting. The design and development of ABO₄ photoanodes for PEC water splitting are critically reviewed with special emphasis on the modification strategies and performance improvement mechanisms of each semiconductor. The comprehensive analysis in this review provides guidelines and insights for the exploration of new high-efficiency photoanodes for solar fuel production.